Light attachment for irons



July 23, 1940. 1. JOHNSON LIGHT ATTACHMENT FOR IRONS Filed Aug. 21, 1939 INVENTOR IMOGENE JOHNSON out;

ATTORNEY Patented July as, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in sad irons of the conventional electrically heated type.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of a novel form of hand grip for such irons having a light attachment integrally formed and streamlined into the hand grip for illuminating the work passing under the iron during pressing operations.

Another object is to provide a novel form of plug receptacle which is integrally formed in the handle for receiving the current connecting plug, and is streamlined into the body of the handle for improvement of its general appearance and character.

A further object resides in the novel form of switch member provided for switching the light attachment current on and off.

A general object is the provision of a novel form of streamlined handle which is pleasing and N artistic in appearance, and highly utilitarian in the inclusion therein of a work-illuminating light and plug receptacle which serve to eliminate the need for separate parts heretofore provided in electric irons. 35 Other useful objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates an operative embodiment of this invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an exterior side view of the iron and hand grip structure of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the hand grip structure showing the details of its internal 85 structure and the arrangement of parts therein,

and l Fig. 3 is a detail showing the switch arrangement for the light attachment on the hand grip.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral i deslg- 40 nates the base of the iron which is provided with usual electrical heating elements (not shown) which are connected to the usual contact posts 2, only one of which appears in the drawing, which extend upwardly and slightly rearwardly 45 from the upper surface of base I, and are located toward the rear end of the base. A hand grip 3, generally streamlined in its contours, and approximating a downwardly turned U-shaped 0 member in its general, outline, is attached to the upper surface of base I. The legs of the U forming the front and rear posts, 4 and 5 respectively, by which the hand grip is attached to base I. Hand grip 3 is preferably constructed as of some suitable non-heating material such as one of the many or wood.

The front leg I is thickened at its base, being rounded and streamlined into the grip portion proper of the hand grip, and is sloped generally downwardly and forwardly toward the forward end of the iron. A hollow recess 6 is formed in the forward face of leg 4 for the reception of a small electric light bulb, similar in size to a flashlight bulb but adapted to operate with the current normally employed with electric irons, which is threadedly mounted in a concave metal reflector 8 seated in recess 6. The recess 6 is so formed in the stock of the hand grip 3 and front leg 4 as to be smoothly streamlined therein, so as not to form any abrupt and inartistic break in the curvature of the hand grip, and extends through the hand grip at an angle forwardly and downwardly toward the forward end of the iron, conforming in direction generally to the shape and curvature of the front leg 4. By this arrangement, the light rays from bulb l are thrown forwardly and downwardly upon the work passing under the forward edge of the iron and serves to brightly illuminate same for the benefit of the operator. A hollow passageway 9 extends rearwardly through the hand grip and communicates at its forward end with the rear end of recess 6. Passageway 9 follows generally the contour of the hand grip, turning downwardly and rearwardly through rear leg 5 which is considerably thickened in its base portion to provide room for a hollow plug receptacle IS in the rear portion thereof surrounding contact posts 2. The rear end of passageway 9 communicates with receptacle ill at a point adjacent the point of attachment of contact posts 2 to the upper surface of base I of the iron. The plug receptacle is so formed as to be fully streamlined within the rear portion of leg 5 of the hand grip and serves to completely enclose the contact posts 2 and so present a distinctive and sightly appearance to the eye. The usual current attachment plug II, is shown in position in receptacle ill in full outlines in Fig. 1, and in dotted outlines in Fig. 2. Current leads I! and I3 are laid in passageway 9 and at their rearward ends are connected to the respective contact posts 2. Lead I2 is connected at its forward end to the metal reflector 8, making electrical connection thereto. The forward end of lead I3 is connected to a contact strip l4, consisting of a flat spring metal strip, which has one end rigidlyconnected to one side surface of recess 6 and extends transversely across the recess and adjacent to the end of bulb commercial plastic compositions 1 through the opposite side of recess 8 to the exterior of hand grip 3. A circular disc l5, dished in its center portion, is fastened to the outer end of strip I l and forms a switch button for the light and is so positioned, angularly, with respect to the hand grip, that it may be operated by depressing same by the thumb of the operator, which normally rests in close proximity to disc II. By means of its resilient character, contact strip I4 is arranged so that it is normally out of contact with the contact end of light bulb 1, so that under normal conditions no current will flow to the light bulb. When it is desired to turn, on the light, the operator merely brings the thumb of the hand operating the iron to rest upon disc l5, and by slight pressure thereon depresses contact strip l4 into contact with light bulb I, causing same to light up. The position of disc I5 is such that the operation of turning the light on and oil may be efiected without altering the normal position of the hand guiding the iron and without fatigue thereto even when necessary or desirable to hold the switch closed for considerable periods of time. I! desired, contact strip M can be made of sufliciently strong spring metal so as to resist the normal weight of the thumb resting thereon, but not suflic'iently strong to prevent closing of switch by the exertion of slight extra pressure by the thumb. Thus, the disc may serve both as a thumb support and as a switch for the light. By the described arrangement it will be seen that current required by the light bulb I is taken from the current being supplied to the heating elements of the iron in the usual manner.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that this invention provides a novel form of hand grip for electric irons which is pleasing and artistic in appearance'and provides a highly useful device for illuminating work being pressed, and for avoiding the unsightly appearance of other construcvhaving a thickened base tions caused by the normally exposed contact posts connected thereto.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

An electrically heated sad iron having in combination, a body portion having the usual contact posts for the heater coils extending upwardly from the rear portion thereof, a generally U- shaped handle downwardly turned and having the legs thereof attached to the upper surface of said body portion, the rear one of said legs portion, an upwardly opening plug receptacle integrally formed in said thickened base portion of the rear leg and enclosing said contact posts, a formed in the front leg of said handle, said recess opening forwardly and downwardly toward the forward end of said iron, a bore extending through said handle connecting said plug receptacle with said recess, a light bulb and reflector positioned in said recess to direct the light rays from said bulb downwardly and forwardly of said iron, conductor leads extending through said bore and connecting said light bulb to said contact posts, and a thumb-operated switch positioned in said recess and connected into the circuit to said light bulb, said switch comprising an elongated fiat spring member extending transversely through said recess and normally out of contact with said light bulb, one end of said spring member being fixedly attached to a side wall of said recess and connected to one of said conductor leads, the free end of said spring member protruding laterally outside said front leg, a disc member mounted on said free end of the spring member and adapted to be depressed by the thumb of the operator to thereby force said spring member into circuit-closing contact with said light bulb.

IMOGENE JOHNSON.

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